Norway’s school reform debate could increasingly focus on a longer and more integrated school day for younger children after a government-appointed commission proposed bringing 12 weekly hours of the after-school programme SFO into the regular day for pupils in Years 1 and 2. The proposal is part of a broad package presented to the Ministry of Education (Kunnskapsdepartementet) on 11 August, aimed at strengthening learning, practical subjects, teachers and the social role of Norway’s common public school system.
The Fellesskoleutvalget commission was appointed by the government in November 2024 to examine how the fellesskole, the common school model intended to provide an inclusive educational environment for all pupils, should adapt to social and technological change. Its final report, NOU 2026: 10 Fellesskolen, contains measures estimated to cost just over NOK 4 billion, around €366 million, equivalent to an increase of about 3 percent in current spending on primary and secondary education.
The recommendations are not government decisions or funded reforms. They will instead provide a basis for the political debate over the future of Norwegian schools.
Norway school reform puts younger pupils at the centre
One of the commission’s main proposals is to create a more coherent and varied school day for children in Years 1 and 2. It recommends a new curriculum for these first two years, with less rigid divisions between individual subjects and more room for play, physical activity and practical learning.
Most significantly, the commission proposes integrating 12 hours of SFO per week into the school day. SFO (skolefritidsordning) is Norway’s municipal before- and after-school programme, combining supervision with play, cultural and recreational activities.
The proposal comes just after Norway expanded access to the service. Since 1 August 2026, pupils in Years 1 to 3 with an SFO place have a statutory right to 12 free hours each week. The commission would go further for the first two years by connecting those hours more closely with the organisation of the school day.
It also wants SFO managers to meet pedagogical competence requirements and proposes more professional development for staff. According to the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training (Utdanningsdirektoratet), almost 170,000 children currently attend SFO.
More reading, mathematics and practical subjects
The report also responds to declining learning outcomes identified by the commission. It says results in international assessments improved after the early 2000s before beginning to decline again from around 2016, while schools have also reported challenges related to concentration, motivation and wellbeing.
The commission therefore recommends long-term programmes to strengthen reading and mathematics, along with clearer curricula that give teachers more precise guidance on core content.
At the same time, it argues that improving results should not mean concentrating the school day exclusively on academic subjects. The proposals include more time for practical and aesthetic subjects, including an additional three to four weekly hours for music and food and health between Years 3 and 7, obtained by reallocating time from other subjects. It also proposes more physical education, practical learning environments and a stronger role for play and movement during the first school years.
The underlying idea is that Norway’s schools have both an educational and a broader formative role, helping pupils develop the social and democratic skills required to participate in society.
Teachers would receive more support and stricter requirements
A substantial part of the report concerns the teaching profession. The commission proposes stricter qualification requirements for people employed as teachers and minimum subject-specific qualifications for teaching several subjects in primary school.
Newly qualified teachers would receive two compulsory introductory years with professional guidance, with 10 percent of their working time during that period reserved for mentoring, preparation and related activities.
The commission also recommends strengthening the role of the main classroom teacher (kontaktlærer) and allocating NOK 1 billion, around €91 million, in additional resources for schools to provide more time for this work.
Technology is another major theme. The report calls for a new national programme on digital learning and education, including artificial intelligence, critical thinking and the risks associated with generative AI and social media. It also recommends clearer national guidance on the age-appropriate and purposeful use of AI in learning.
A proposal for what Norway’s common school should become
Commission chair Bjørn Haugstad said during the presentation that there is “no quick fix” capable of resolving the challenges facing schools, according to Aftenposten. The report itself similarly warns against repeatedly adding new reforms without giving schools sufficient resources and time to implement them.
Minister of Education Kari Nessa Nordtun (Kunnskapsministeren) said the commission had identified several important areas when she received the report during Arendalsuka.
The government will now have to decide which recommendations should move into policy. But the report establishes a wider framework for that discussion: stronger basic skills combined with more practical learning, a more integrated day for younger pupils, greater professional support for teachers and a school system expected to respond to technological change without losing its role as a shared social institution.
